After four days of passionate public testimony and extensive internal deliberations, a Hawaii County Council bill that would have placed restrictions on genetically modified crops on the Big Island has been withdrawn.

Councilwoman Margaret Wille, who had introduced Bill 79 in April, today made the motion to kill the bill during a meeting of the Committee on Public Safety and Mass Transit.

The measure would have banned new genetically modified crops on the Big Island and placed restrictions on the growing of an existing one, papayas engineered to resist the ringspot virus.

Wille had already made substantial amendments to the bill and had indicated in recent weeks that more changes were to come.

She said today that she now plans to introduce a new version of the bill.

Councilwoman Brenda Ford told her colleagues today that she also intends to introduce legislation dealing with genetically modified organisms or GMOs.

Hundreds of people have testified on Bill 79 over four days of meetings that concluded on July 3 in Kona.

Part of the overflow crowd in the hallway outside the County Council chambers. Photo by Dave Smith.

While most of those testifying were in favor of the measure, there were also many who said the legislation would have a chilling effect on Big Island agriculture.

Although the testimony period was cut off after the July 3 meeting, the matter attracted an overflow crowd to the council’s Hilo chambers today in anticipation of a vote that would have sent the bill to the full council with either a favorable or negative recommendation.

The matter was previously scheduled for July 30 but was postponed until today out of concerns about the impact of a then-approaching Tropical Storm Flossie.

Rush Limbaugh is right, the modern environmental movement is the new home for displaced communists; people who live to foist their liberal dogma on the rest of us.

Cindy Trautmeyer

Commies never ask for letting the markets decide and abhor educated consumer choices. Communist governments withhold desired information from their citizens. Both are hallmarks of GMO corporations–environmentalists are hardly commies.

Guest

letting the market decide? Hardly, they want to outright ban them. And for what? Because it’s not “natural”? There are entire stores dedicated to people who want organic, why mess with my food?

Cindy Trautmeyer

Try to build a store where only GMO crops are being sold. Something along the line “Gourmet GMO”. Then we can talk market forces.

Guest

What do you think a health food store like Island Naturals is? It’s your alternative to GMO food. Hell, you could do what I do and grow your own food or go to the farmers market and shake hands with the people who do grow your food. There are lots of alternatives.

Guest

you do realize that every bit of food you eat is a genetically modified plant or animal right? Even our pets are the result of thousands of years of selective breeding.

The idea that everything natural is good and everything humans do to alter nature is bad, it’s just ridiculous.

Cindy Trautmeyer

I vividly remember when the Cro Magnon around the fire and decided to splice the genetic material of a virus and put it into maize. They certainly didn’t want to label it then even that the organic crowd was rallying up a storm outside of the cave.

Guest

I could care less about a label, if that’s what was the issue here but what we’re talking about is a ban.

And there are already labels, your food says GMO free, so it’s safe to assume that if it’s not labeled ‘GMO free’, its almost certainly GMO.

Cindy Trautmeyer

It’s not. Conventional farmers are the losers. Not everyone believes in a non-enforced, voluntary label saying ‘organic’. Mandatory enforcement or organic and GMO labels are allowing businesses to prosper on solid footing.

Guest

People label organic because its a selling point. Personally I think it’s a scam but that’s just my opinion. Everything else we eat and I mean everything, is genetically modified.
So instead of labeling 90% of the food GMO, (to the benefit of the organic food producers), just label the stuff that isn’t.

Plant Down Babylon

Of course, you could just quit relying on others and grow your own food! It’s not that hard. I personally would like to know whats IN THE FOOD I BUY.
Monsanto just knows that 90% of intelligent people will NOT buy gmo labeled products.

I wonder why?…

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High School Musical On

@ Baldwin High School

Come pick up your rusty metal folding chair any Sunday now through March 31st at the church & let your creative side run wild. The object is to decorate the chair any way you want & the only rule is that it must fold open & close. All chairs must be turned in on April 6 where they will be on display until April 20. You can name your price & sell your chair but a percentage of your proceeds are asked to be donated to the church. Have fun!